Rotary display apparatus



Dec. 11, 1934.

J. MAAS 1,983,861

- ROTARY DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Nov. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //W/vr02Ju/fan Mans.

Dec. 11, 1934.

J. MAAS 1,983,861

ROTARY DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Nov. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 hwavmz Jo//'4/7 Mada.

QrraP/vm Patented Dec. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Julian Maas,

St. Louis, Mo.

Application November 14, 1931, Serial No. 575,021

Claims.

This invention relates generally to display apparatus and, moreparticularly, to a certain new and useful improvement in displayapparatus of the rotary type.

My invention has for its prime objects the provision of an advertisingor display apparatus incorporating a rotary article-carrying member forthe display of the articles to be advertised in conjunction preferablywith a rotary indiciacarrying member for attracting attention to thearticles displayed; the provision of supporting and actuating means forsaid rotatory members comprising an oscillatory electric fan of standardtype; and the provision of a neat, compact, inexpensive and readilyportable advertising or display apparatus of the character set forth.

And with the above and other objects in View, my invention resides inthe novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combinationof parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings (2 sheets) Figure 1 is a front elevationalview, partly broken away, of a display apparatus of my invention;

Figure 2 is a top-plan View, partly broken away and in section, of theapparatus; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged and partly broken away side elevational View ofthe apparatus.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to thedrawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, Adesignates an oscillatory electric-fan of any suitable type andconstruction, which includes,,as is customary, a base 1, a motor casing2 mounted for oscillation on the base 1, an annular series of blades 3mounted for rotation on and with the motor shaft, and means comprising ahousing 4 having suitable mechanism contained therein for oscillatingthe casing 2 on the base 1.

Such fan-oscillating means is, in practice, capable of variousembodiments not pertinent to my present invention; hence for my presentpurpose it suffices here merely to say that one form of thefan-oscillating means may include, as here shown, a vertical shaft 5axially shiftable in the housing 4 and adapted for driven connection insuitable manner with the fanmotor shaft (not shown), the shaft 5projecting, in the present instance, from the upper side of the housing4 and having a terminal knurled head or handle 6 for manipulating theshaft 5, whereby the fan-oscillating mechanism may be rendered fullyoperative when the shaft 5 is shifted inwardly of the housing 4, or theoscillating mechanism may be rendered nonoperative when the shaft 5 isshifted outwardly or upwardly relatively to the housing 4. Other detailsof the fan-oscillating mechanism being well known in the art, furtherdescription thereof is omitted.

B designates a frame or spindle-support including a vertically-disposedbar 7 attached by means of a pair of suitably spaced brackets 8 to theside of the casing 2 oppositely the blades '3, which side of the casing2 will descriptively be referred to as the front side of the apparatus.From the bottom of the bar 7 forwardly extends an arm 9 carrying astepbearing 10, and from the top of the bar '7 also forwardly extends anarm 11 having a throughbearing 12 in registration with the bearing 10.

Rotarily supported in the lower bearing and journalled through the upperbearing 12, is a spindle 13 provided with a set-collar 14 for, inspindle-retaining manner, engaging the underside of the bearing 12.Intermediately on the spindle 13, is mounted a preferably widefaced gear15 meshing with a pinion 16 mounted on the shaft 5 intermediate thehousing 4 and the shaft-head 6, the face of the gear 15 being ofsufficient width for continuing in mesh with the pinion 16 as the latteris vertically shifted on and with oscillation-controlling manipula- 2)tion of the shaft 5.

On the upper frame-projecting end of the shaft 13, is formed or turned aflanged head 1'7 supporting an article-carrying display member in theform preferably of a circular disclike table 18, which is attached tothe head 17 preferably by a suitable fastening element orcounter-sunk-head screw 19 for rotation of the table 18 by and with thespindle 13 on motordriven actuation thereof through the shaft 5, pinion16, and gear 15.

Attached by suitable fastening elements 20 to the frame-bar '7, is ahorizontally and forwardly extending arm 21 laterally spaced from thespindle 13 and carrying on its front-end a pair of inwardly projectinglongitudinally spaced lugs or brackets 22, in and through which isrotarily mounted a shaft 23 disposed in the vertical plane of thespindle 13.

At its spindle-adjacent end, the shaft 23 carries a bevel gear 24 havinghub-wise end engagement with the adjacent bracket 22 for meshing with acomplementary bevel gear 25 mounted on the spindle 13 intermediately ofthe gear 15 and bearing 12 for rotary actuation of the shaft 23 by andwith actuation of the spindle 13.

Into the front end of the shaft 23 is threaded a screw 26, on which ismounted, between a screw-carried washer 27 and the end of the shaft 23,a member 28 preferably in the form of a disc, as shown, which carriessuitable indicia or attention attracting markings 29, the disc 28 beingdisposed in visual adjacence to and preferably in front of and below thetablemember 18 for attracting attention to articles displayed thereon,as presently appearing.

In use and operation, the articles, as 30, to be displayed are depositedon the table 18, and the disc 28 is provided with indicia, markings, orother sign-providing characters, as 29, :suitable for the purpose ofattracting attention to the articles displayed on the table. Thefanmotor being suitably motivated, the :shaft :5 is rotarily driven for,in turn, rotating the spindle 1'3 and its supported table 18, and,concurrently therewith, also rotating the shaft 23 and its carried disc28, the table-carried articles 30 being rotated by and with the table 18for ensuing exposure or presentation on all their sides to the view ofthe spectator.

In the particular embodiment shown, the shaft 5, when manipulatedinwardly of the housing 4, has operative connection also with theoscillating mechanism for swinging the fan A from side to side, thefan-carried frame B and its supported table 13 and disc 28 being therebynot only rotarily actuated, but likewise swung or translated from sideto side while so rotating, for thus augmenting the attention-attractingmotion of the table 18 and disc 28.

Actuation of the discs 18 and 28 does not in the slightest affect properrotary actuation of the fan-blades 3, which concurrently with actuationof the discs 18 and 28 perform their usual function, and hence theutility of the fan is greatly increased.

More particular uses of my invention will readily suggest themselves tothose skilled in the display or advertising-art and need not here befurther welt upon. It will be seen, however, that a highiy effectiveattention-attracting display may be eifected by the apparatus of myinvention. The apparatus is simple, strong, sturdy, and withal may becheaply manufactured, and is readily portable from place to place foruse in show-windows, show-cases, and the like as may from time to timebest serve the intended purpose.

It will be understood that changes and modifications in the form,construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts of theapparatus may be made and substituted for those herein shown anddescribed without departing from the nature and principle of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. A display apparatus comprising, in combination, arotatory article-carrying display member, a rotatory indicia-carryingdisplay member co-actuable with the first display member, and meansincluding a motor-driven mechanism of the oscillatory fan type foraffording both support and motivation of said display members.

2. A display apparatus comprising, in combination with an electric fan,including its motorcasing, a frame mounted on the casing, a rotatoryarticle-carrying display member, a rotary indicia carrying displaymember, frame-carried means including a spindle supporting thearticle-carrying member and a shaft supporting the indicia-carryingmember, means for operative'ly connecting the spindle with thefanmechanism, and other means operatively connecting the shaft with thespindle for concurrent actuation of said display-members on and withmotivation of the fan mechanism.

.3. A display apparatus comprising in combination, a motor-drivenmechanism of the oscillatory fan type including a rotative memberassociated with the oscillatory mechanism of the fan, a table-providingrotatory display member for carrying the articles to be displayed, asignproviding rotatory display member visually adjacent said tablemember, a spindle for supporting the table-member, a shaft forsupporting the sign-member, means operatively connecting the shaft andthe spindle, and means including a gear on the spindle and a pinion onthe rotative member of the fan-mechanism meshing with the gear forcon-current actuation of the display members on and with motivation ofthe fanmechanism.

4. A display apparatus comp "ising, in combination, a rotatoryarticle-carrying display member, a rotatory indicia-carrying displaymember co-actuable with the first display member, and means including amotor-driven mechanism of the fan-type for affording both support andmo- 'tivation of said display members.

5. In a display apparatus, in combination, an upstanding base, amotor-casing mounted for oscillation on the base in a horizontal plane,a spindle support fixed on, and relatively to the base oscillatory with,the casing, a vertically disposed spindle mounted for rotation on thesupport, a display-member fixed on the spindle and rotatable in ahorizontal plane spaced upwardly from the plane of oscillation of thecasing, motor-driven mechanism of the oscillatory fan type associatedwith the base and casing and including a vertically disposed rotaryshaft having driven connection with the motor shaft for oscillating thecasing and said support relatively to the base, and a driving-connectionbetween the shaft and spindle for effecting rotary actuation of thedisplay-member concurrently with oscillation thereof with the casing andsaid support.

JULIAN MAAS.

